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March 18, 2022"What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?" This was Judah's way to persuade his brothers to save the life of his brother Joseph. Thanks to Judah's intervention, Joseph was not killed but sold to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. In Jesus’ parable, we hear a similar story about a landowner who sent his son to the tenants to obtain his produce and was killed by the tenants. The landowner thought ‘They will respect my son.’ But instead, the tenants said to one another ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
A brother sold, and a son killed. Both accounts make clear that there is no gain in killing one's brother or sister. On the contrary, to take someone's life only brings about loss; the loss of that person and the loss of that relationship. Along with it, we also lose our sense of humanity, dignity and appreciation for life. An inheritance becomes more valuable than a human person. Sadly, this still happens in our families, churches, and societies. Sometimes, some people, are afraid of losing an inheritance – a piece of land, certain way of doing things, natural resources - or any other kind of material interest, that the appreciation for that person and that relationship starts fading until it disappears.
During this season of lent, we are invited to allow ourselves to be persuaded by Judah's question. Remembering the many ways killing a brother or sister may happen – damaging their image, judging them without knowledge, labeling them, isolating them, and so on – let's not lose sight of our real inheritance: the kingdom of God. Let's not fall into the risk of losing it!
